


a sky full of stars and tears in our hearts

by undernightlight



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers S.P.D.
Genre: Angst, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Sorry, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:27:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26351896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/undernightlight/pseuds/undernightlight
Summary: Sky wakes up in the middle of the night and Bridge is missing from the room. Confused, Sky goes looking, cold because he can't seem to find his hoodie.
Relationships: Bridge Carson/Sky Tate
Comments: 3
Kudos: 26





	a sky full of stars and tears in our hearts

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be short full and it just turned into full angst...oops?

Sky woke up and it was still dark outside and in his room. He stared at the wall momentarily before rolling over to check the time. Still the early hours of the morning, so it wasn’t worth trying to stay up, and it wasn't worth getting out of bed. Until, that is, he noticed the lack of sleeping Bridge in his bed across the room. It was hard to make out any distinct shapes, but he could still see the outline of a deflated duvet. He squinted as he flicked on the lamp about his bed, and indeed, Bridge's bed was empty.

Normally, there would be no need for concern, but the bathroom light was off - it always seemed out from under the door - and as Bridge wasn’t one for late night stoles around the base, his absence was suspicious.

Slowly, Sky managed to pull his still half asleep body upright and to his feet. Shoes were a hassle but socks were a necessity, so he just went with that. With a light chill going up his spine alerting him to the cold, he reached for the back of his chair to grab his blue hoodie, but instead found it missing. He was surprised, thinking for sure he’d left it there, but supposed he could’ve put it in his laundry basket, so despite the chill, he went without and wandered out to find Bridge.

The base was quieter at night. With fewer people on duty, the hallways were less crowded, and the lights throughout were dimmer, softer, easier on his eyes to navigate around after an interrupted slumber.

With only a few logical guesses to go with, Sky went about it. Bridge wasn’t in the mess hall, which was Sky’s first guess, and he wasn’t in their common room which he checked first on the way. He wasn’t in his usual little lab, or any of the others, and he wasn’t in the gym - they had started working out together.

Eventually, Sky did find him. He was in one of the smaller common rooms, not one their squad ever spent time in, but was small and often unused and forgotten, especially at this hour. Bridge was sitting in a beanbag, slumped up against the window, staring out and watching the sky. The lights were off, but with the large windows, uncovered in the night, Sky could see him clearly, and as he approached, he could see he looked tired. 

Bridge heard him as he approached, and looked up with distant eyes; he'd been daydreaming - or more apply nightdreaming - while looking at the stars.

"Hey," Sky said, voice warm despite being cold, as he perched himself in the window ledge. Looking at Bridge a little close now, knowing it wasn't just the moonlight, Sky found his missing blue hoodie on Bridge. It was too big, the shoulder seams slipping down, the material rumpled and baggy around his middle, sleeves covering his hands, fingertips just poking out; looking at him, Sky couldn't even be mad at being cold with how sweet Bridge looked. 

"Hi." Bridge's voice came back sad, distant in a way Sky wasn't used to hearing from him. "What are you doing up?" 

"I could ask you the same thing."

Bridge shrugged. "I couldn't sleep."

There was something rattling in Bridge's head, as there so often was, but whatever was going on in there, that pulled Bridge out of bed in the middle of the night, unsettled Sky. He wanted to reach out, but instead kept his hands in his lap, not wanting to overwhelm him with emotion. 

"What's going on up there Bridge?" 

The sadness on his face was disheartening, and contagious in a horrid way. Sky felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach just looking at Bridge. 

"What if we fail?" 

Oh no, this isn't fair for Bridge. He shouldn't worry about these things, and Sky's sunken heart cracked at the pain in Bridge's voice. It was so unsure, so scared and desperate, speaking like a child and their danger of the dark. 

And Sky didn't know what to say. Saying that they wouldn't fail, that they would defeat Gruumm and everything would be okay, would be an empty statement, an empty promise, and Bridge didn't need that. Bridge didn't need blinding optimism, he needed comfort, but Sky wasn't sure how to best go about it.

"I don't know Bridge."

Sky shuffled on the ledge, his leg resting close to Bridge's knees, near if the physical comfort was needed. The sky out was clear, the moon nearly full but not quite there yet; it felt easier staring out the window than trying to face the conversation, despite how much Sky wanted to help and comfort. 

He felt out of his depths, and greatly so. He wasn't someone that comforted that wasn't his role and it never had been. Bridge was the one that was good at that, always finding those silver linings among grey clouds. The more Sky thought about it, the more it made sense; everyone unloaded on Bridge because he was always there to pick them, but who did he unload to? Who was there for him when he needed it? 

Gently, but in a way to ensure he knew it was deliberate, Sky bumped their knees together. A small smile cracked onto Bridge's face, but it wasn't a happy smile but a sad one, something longing. 

"When I think about it," Bridge began, "Maybe I should be thinking more about what'll happen to Earth and SPD and all the people here, but all I can think about is what'll happen to us, to the team." His voice started to shake, and Sky bumped their knees together again, now choosing to keep that contact. "Sometimes, I don't know what's worse, the thought of being captured by Gruumm, or being killed in battle."

Sky felt his heart now break, pieces lodging in his throat so he couldn't speak, couldn't breathe. Bridge shouldn't think these things, it wasn't fair, he didn't deserve that. 

"Bridge…" because he didn't know what else to say, what he could say to make those feelings go away. 

"I've been thinking a lot about the time I've spent in SPD, and I don't regret it, but most people out there are just continuing with their lives, not knowing the threat that's out there, but we know, we know that we could lose the planet to Gruumm, and sometimes I don't know what to do with that."

Sky had thought about that too. Ignorance could really be bliss, but they didn't have the luxury of that. Being Earth's last line of defence had its pressures, he knew that, he struggled with that. Somehow, he forgot that the others did too; the misery can be self consuming.

He was broken out of his thoughts with a heavy sigh, but not one that was heavy and sad, but one that was lighter, like the weight was gone. Bridge stood, now taller than Sky still sat on the window ledge, and smiled down. As he started to walk off, Sky reached out and grabbed Bridge's hand, but skin slipping against leather, hands falling back apart, but it was enough to catch his attention.

Looking at Bridge, he could see that heaviness return, that he was getting up to leave before the darkness could come back and Sky had stopped him. He felt guilty for that, but he couldn't let Bridge leave without talking this through more, not that he was sure what to say. 

Bridge seemed to understand, though that heaviness remained as he stepped closer, reaching out and rested a gentle hand on Sky's shoulder. 

"I'm sure it'll be alright though," Bridge said, voice quite.

It was supposed to be the other way around this time. Bridge shouldn't be comforting him, that wasn't what this was supposed to be. Sky should be the one with the comforting hold and hopeful smile and warm eyes. 

Slowly, but not hesitantly, he reached up to grab Bridge's hand, and gently bring it down between his own. His thumbs pressed lightly into Bridge's palm, making circular motions. He looked back up to Bridge, and smiled, as hopeful as he could make it, and a smile came back that matched his own.

And then Sky’s smile faded as he went back to looking at their hands. “I’m sorry.”

“What for? You haven’t done anything.”

“Exactly. I should’ve known this was eating at you and I should’ve been able to help - I should be able to help now but I don’t know what to do.”

A leather clad hand, free from his crasp, came to rest atop, now four hands all clutching together, to each other. Sky didn’t look up though, eyes still down.This wasn’t going anywhere but he couldn’t let it go; he couldn’t let go of the thought of Bridge suffering alone and he not doing anything to help him through it.

“Sky, it’s okay.”

“It doesn’t feel okay.”

Bridge tugged at him, at their connected hands, pulling Sky to his feet, and quickly embracing him. Sky wrapped his arms around Bridge without hesitation, wanting comfort himself and to comfort his friend. So rarely did he get to hug Bridge like this, so close and tight and heavy. It was often just light, quick and friendly, victorious from training or battle or video games, but this was not a hug of victory, but of emotional defeat; they were both drained with their duties, with their potential futures, so this hug meant something more than the usual.

They stayed together for a while. It was comforting, to be held, to just exist in silence despite there being many things still left unsaid. Maybe for another time, Sky thought, because he wouldn’t let it go, wouldn’t let Bridge think he had to suffer alone. So when they pulled back, their hands stayed lightly on their arms, keeping the contact, the warmth appreciated as Sky was reminded of the cold.

“Maybe we should get some sleep,” Bridge said eventually, a tired smile gracing his lips.

“Yeah, I think you’re right.”

Sliding down his arms, Bridge’s hands ended up in his, fingers interlocking. It was done almost hesitantly, testing where the line was and if it was being crossed, but Sky held on comfortably, willingly and desperately, and Bridge started to pull him toward the door.

Sky smiled a little, something lighter, genuinely happier. “I wondered why my hoodie meant.”

As if only being reminded himself, Bridge turned back, eyes wide and mouth gaping open, before looking down at the blue on his torso, then back up again. “I forgot, I’m sorry.”

With a light chuckle, “It’s okay. I like the way it fits you.”

“But it doesn’t fit me.”

“Exactly.” A warm smile spread across Bridge’s face, something so wonderful to see, that Sky couldn’t help but mirror it, and he happily let himself get pulled along again, Bridge leading the way with tired strides. “You can borrow it whenever you need.”

“Thank you, but I won’t wear it that much. I want the times when I do where it, for the hoodie to smell like you.” And with something else in his voice, Bridge said, “I like the way you smell, it reminds me of home.”


End file.
